Press Release - EDCOM 2 convenes TWG to review Anti-Bullying IRR

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) convened the Technical Working Group (TWG) on July 3rd, tasked to review the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Law of 2013, issued through DepEd Order No. 55 s. 2013.

EDCOM 2 Technical Secretariat, Standing Committee Focal for Home and School Environment PDr Allan Bernardo, lead offices of the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Technical Panel for Teacher Education comprise the said TWG. Partners from the Child Stairway Foundation and the Research Institute for Teacher Quality were also present as resource persons during the first meeting of the TWG.

The TWG was created after EDCOM 2's public hearing on bullying, following De La Salle University's research recommendations to amend the IRR and strengthen the provisions related to the Child Protection Committee, improve systems for reporting bullying cases, and clarify the structure and systems of DepEd related to bullying.

"We know for a fact that we have an alarmingly high incidence of bullying in Philippine public schools and our local research further confirms that. Bringing together movers of anti-bullying reforms is needed now more than ever. We already have existing policy mechanisms that can provide our learners with a safe and protected environment, and it is our shared responsibility to ensure that these are responsive and well-implemented," says EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee.

Lack of manpower to help address bullying, mental health concerns

During previous EDCOM 2 discussions, the discrepancy between the data reported by DepEd and data released by international assessments such as PISA was pointed out, including structural and manpower concerns that affected the underreporting of bullying cases.

Data also indicates that the country produced a relatively low number of graduates with Masters in Guidance and Counseling from 2018-2021, compared to the available or unfilled guidance counselor positions. This poses a big concern regarding the supply of professionals who could help address or provide relevant services on bullying